Thursday, 26 September 2013

Hey, folks! I happen to like
the phenomenon, that is, Throwback Thursday. I think it a fantastic opportunity
to reminisce and share funny glimpses into your past with your friends,
families, and acquaintances. As such, I really wanted to do a "Throwback Thursday" post on my blog. Who knows? Maybe, depending on the feedback, it would be the first of many more to come.

Today, I'm going to write about those few instances during my childhood and adolescence, that I can remember, when I got into serious trouble. When I write, "serious trouble", I'm referring to those times when I got licks, was banned, slapped, sent to the Principal's office, had to do lines, and/or disappointed my parents. I used two photos from my school days, which best depict what I looked like at the time of each incident. So yeah, let's throwback yo!

1) Childhood, Primary School, 8-11 years old

My brother and I.

In Standard Three, my class had some sort of competition, which I lost after trying my hardest. Being the sore loser and killjoy that I was at 8-years old, I booed the student who won. As a result, I was sent to the Principal's Office. I was terrified; I mean, I was off to the Principal's Office for the first time, corporal punishment was legal, I had a low threshold for pain, and as if that weren't enough, my parents were going to find out, which meant another cycle of punishment. I almost started crying as I explained to him what had happened. I ended up lying, and told him a vapid story about the guy booing me first a week earlier (I know, not my best). Thankfully, I got off scot-free, unless you count the fact that I had to swallow my pride and apologize.

In Standard Four, I placed 34th out of 36 students in my end of term exams, and to this day, I can't understand why. At the age of 10, I was concerned about having a fun filled vacation, and I knew that there would have been no fun if my parents saw my grade. So, I decided to put my report book in a black, plastic bag and hide it under some clothes in a barrel. I told my parents that the report would be given at the start of the following term. Everything was fine for one day. What I didn't count on was how much my treachery would weigh on my conscience. I swear I almost had a nervous breakdown, and was therefore, relieved when my mother found the book. Although I got licks for lying, was banned from playing and watching TV, and disappointed my parents all in one day, I was happier for it.

2) Adolescence, Secondary School, 12-15 years old

Me: First Day of School- Form Three

In Form One, some of my classmates and I started a sou-sou in an attempt to be more responsible and manage our money. My father was pretty impressed by our initiative and was eager to lend his support, as long as our Form Teacher supervised us. Of course, I lied and said that she was. Eventually, the bacchanal hit the fan! Surprisingly, someone stopped paying after they received their hand (I thought all 11 year old children were responsible), which angered the others. There was a shouting match, the Form Teacher intervened, and parents were called in. In short, de mark buss! There was no licks, no being banned, just pure disappointment from the parents, especially my father. Basically, my life was ruined, since being told that you are a disappointment is pretty much the worst kind of punishment.

More than anything, my rudeness, hot mouth, and general outta timing-ness, got me in trouble. For starters, I went through the phase of rudeness, which was directed at my grandmother more than anything. I would mumble under my breath, walk off in a huff, and complain that no one understood me. It all stopped after Granny cut meh ass with some kitchen utensil one afternoon at my aunt's house in Mayaro. Even worse, the masons outside heard every lash and scream. How embarrassing!

Then, there was the time that my mother slapped me because I had mumbled to myself that a friend of a friend of the family was being grumpy because she needed 'ah man'. I also had to apologize, in front of a group of people with tears running down my face. Lastly, on a trip to Tobago, I said that one of the teachers lived for minding her student's business. Given my luck, her daughter had heard me. Basically, I had to apologize and write lines. Looking back, not much has changed; I just learned to be more tactful.

That's all folks! Thanks for stepping back in time with me. Until the next post!

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Guess what? I’m fat! Yes,
sirs and mams! I’m fat... and lazy! Ain't self realization a bitch?!? Anyway, during my
second time in Colombia, I ate a lot of fast food, drank, partied, worked, lazed around, and did not exercise on a weekly basis. So, I gained weight! And the cycle has more or less continued, since I've been back. Whilst I've never been skinny,
things have certainly been getting out of hand.

As such, about two months ago, I bought a pair of
sneakers and started walking around the almost dilapidated recreation ground
close to my house. Things were going well (I mean, I lost two pounds), but I
got bored, so I stopped. I've been meaning to get back on the proverbial horse,
but it’s easier thought than done. Then, I had the genius idea of creating a
list, since I figured that if I saw it everyday, it would give me the kick in the butt I needed. So, here
goes... Oh, and when in doubt, follow the red arrow!

1) I constantly bite the
insides of my mouth.

2) My belly is huge. No,
GINORMOUS!

Exhibits A and B!

3) It’s slowly started to hang
over my waist bands and belts. Not a cute look, at all!

4) My belly and my butt are
almost the same size (I think my belly is bigger). If you've seen my butt,
you’d be concerned too.

Belly in white, butt in black. And my butt can't even fit in the frame.

5) Sometimes, when I'm sitting, I can’t bend to
pick something up off the floor or tie my shoelace.

6) Sucking in my belly doesn't make a difference.

7) My legs constantly rub together.

8) Said rubbing of legs has
made holes in two pairs of jeans.

Yep, I did that!

9) The idea of putting my shirt in my pants terrifies me. 10) I have trouble breathing.
Like, I need to stop and take deep, deep breaths after over-exerting myself too
much.

Like, after riding a bicycle for 20 minutes. Hate those girls and their enthusiasm!

11) I’m paranoid about the way I
smell.

12) My favourite clothes don’t
fit.

13) My boxer briefs have gotten
noticeably tighter.

14) I have man boobs.

Quite perky, if I may say so, myself!

15) Even worse, I have cleavage
when I lie down on my side.

16) I find myself irrationally
hating people who are fit and skinny. I roll my eyes or call them names. Ugh,
Skinny Bitches!

17) I don’t enjoy “pigging out”,
anymore. I feel so guilty and disgusted with myself.

18) I have to constantly remind myself that I’m an intelligent, good-looking young man, and that my weight doesn't change that. Pathetic, right?

I am good-looking, though! Ha-ha!

Making a list is only the beginning of the battle, I actually have to get up, get out there, and get in shape. I think I can do it, since I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. I hope that you'll join me, via my blog, on my journey. Keep an eye out for future updates! *insert smiley face*Love abounds! Until the next post!

Monday, 9 September 2013

For a small country,
Trinidad and Tobago has a lot to offer. In my few travels abroad I've seen and
experienced a lot of amazing places, which made me want to see and
experience more of my country. It was with this desire that I decided to
participate in a hike to the Turure Water Steps (TWS), three weeks ago that was hosted by the Rotaract Club of Sangre Grande Central. Situated in Cumaca Village,
Valencia, the steps are a series of limestone formations that get bigger the
higher you climb. At the base of each step, there are pools of water that are
great for taking a dip, sitting, posing for photos, jumping into, or
finding crayfish and other animal life.

There I was, dressed in an
over-sized track pants and T-shirt with bright orange and black sneakers, taking
in the sights and sounds of nature. Everything was so peaceful, like the sound
of the birds chirping, the air felt/ smelt clean, and the view of the
surrounding mountains was breathtaking. I remember feeling rejuvenated, and being
very eager to start the adventure.

Eventually, we were asked to
assemble at the beginning of the trail, and were greeted by our friendly,
neighbourhood Hike Master, Emile. Although I had only been in his presence for,
like 5 seconds, I was drawn to how passionate he was about hiking. He had this
excited- almost manic- look in his eyes (as though the prospect of giving us a
glimpse into his incredible world made his day), was very expressive, and
exuded joy. He was also very knowledgeable about the history of the area.
Honestly, I can’t remember most of it (I know, I studied history, I should be
embarrassed), but I was definitely impressed and even more excited.

Finally, we were on our way
up a hill, covered with rocks and stones of varying sizes. My excitement lasted
for about five minutes as it gave way to heavy breathing, heavy sweating, and
heavy, mental cursing. It was so physically demanding for me because I lead a
sedentary lifestyle. I had to pace myself and make sure that I breathed through
my nose and out my mouth.

Before I knew it, I found a
rhythm: go up steep incline, go down steep incline, duck under tree branch, go
over tree branch, slip in mud, be rescued by random dude I don’t know, go up
two more inclines, lend a helping hand to that girl who was worried about her
hair getting frizzy, roll eyes at said girl’s silly concerns, cross a river,
complain about my shoes and track pants getting wet, cross another river, sit
on a rock in the river, pose for a photo, drink some water, complain some more,
and repeat with some variation for 35- 40 minutes.

By the time the Hike Master
announced that we had arrived at the first step, it took all of my depleted
strength not to pass out. As my heart rate slowed down, I observed how interesting
the steps were. I mean, they seemed to have risen from the bottom of the river.
There were the steps themselves with water cascading around them and smaller
areas of rock that were fantastic for walking, casually. Equally interesting
was the fact that no moss grew on the limestone, which also adhered to the sole
of your shoes. Both made it possible to walk on the rock without slipping, and easily
climb it to get to the other steps. Nature can be cool!

Steps!

That's me, with the orange sneakers, walking up a rock, like Spiderman

After climbing some more, I
arrived at the biggest step, and just stared in awe at its size. Unfortunately,
some “humans” saw it fitting to spoil the view by carving their stupid,
pointless names in the rock. Like, who does that? Couldn't they have just
marvelled at nature and leave without spoiling it? Ugh! Anyway, I opted not to
go to the top and settled for sitting on a rock with my sneaker clad feet in the
water.

Like so...

The hike back was
uneventful, unless you count my slipping three times in the river, falling down
on my butt twice, sliding down an incline, and getting bitten by an ant and
thinking that I was going to die as uneventful. Overall, it was a great day
spent in the great outdoors, exploring my sweet country. I can’t wait to do it
again!

Sunday, 1 September 2013

After a two week blogging hiatus (not that anyone noticed), I'm back. I was a bit down and uninspired, so instead of writing and posting, I wallowed in self pity, self doubt, and unemployment. Thankfully, it didn't last long this time around, and I got a lot of sleep. Then, September happened and I got excited again. At first, it was weird because I thought that I had no real reason to be excited about the month of September. But, as I lay on my bed and thought about it more, there were actually a lot of things to look forward to.

For starters, it's my mom's birthday month, and we get to shower her with gifts and make her feel even more special. Then, there's the start of the 2013-2014 TV season, which means that my favourite TV shows will be premiering new episodes soon. Not to mention, the bevy of new TV shows that I'll become a fan of. Gosh, I'm so excited that I can be a TV whore again! I can watch my shows weekly, fall in love with or hate the characters, get emotional, get sucked in, read recaps online, and comment on fan forums to either laud or complain about the latest episode. Oh joy, joy, joy! There are other things too, like the upcoming events with the Rotaract club, counting down to my 24th birthday next month, and the possibility of new opportunities presenting themselves.

I'm anticipating a month of new blog posts, since I've had a couple of ideas brewing in this big head of mine. I'm yet to write about my amazing hike to the Turure Water Steps, over two weeks ago. I want to do a blog based on the whole #Throwback-Thursday phenomenon, and reminisce about the times I got in serious trouble with my parents. I intend to document my latest attempt at weight loss, and create a few lists based on my crazy observations and quirks. I can also count on a random post or two popping up on my page, whenever inspiration and I do our little dance. I really want to build my blog because I love writing, it's my creative outlet, and I enjoy sharing with those people that read and relate to what I write. It truly gives my life meaning.

Basically, I have a pretty interesting month ahead, and I couldn't be more excited. Yay me!